Friday, December 09, 2011

He charmed guests....

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

In a nod to both form and function, world renowned kitchen and housewares store Alessi that turns objects into poetic art, opened the doors to its Washington D.C. store (tucked away in Georgetown's fashionable Cady's Alley) for a pre-holiday bash and to welcome designer Karim Rashid.

Rashid is considered one of the most prolific designers of his generation. He charmed guests as he engraved his autograph on his whimsical objects of desire. "I'm perpetually inspired" said Rashid of his inspiration when creating a new product. "[My first design] was luggage," he continued, about a drawing contest when he was five years old. "Everyone else drew their family, but I won."

Designer Karim Rashid

The innovative Italian company prides itself on a mission of "transforming the gadget function...into an opportunity for consumers to change their perception of the world." It's about beauty and serving a purpose--which is how Alessi products have landed themselves into museums across the globe including in Milan, Amsterdam and San Francisco.